Conquering the Demons
by DonsterMonster
Summary: Will is an ordinary adolescent who gets his heart broken and commits suicide. Only fantastical forces save him and he embarks on a journey through time to save the future. On the way he finds his missing half and must fight for love and the freedom of mankind. A bildungsroman adventure romance with 2 lemons.
1. Our Hero

Will walked through the streets, observing the feculence and scum. The world he had been born into was not one he preferred. Will was a man out of time, but historically surprising. The year was 2010, a year Will remembered in the history books as a terrible time. Although the streets of Pittsburgh were relatively clean, he could see the atrocities that would be civilization's undoing.

Some men were born into the world to perform great good. These, like Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa gave Will hope. But so many more were evil at heart and knew only how to kill, steal, and lie. Will was very different. He had been born into a beautiful home with loving parents, but one day, he returned home and was an orphan. Not even his brothers had survived the tragic fire. He grew up alone and determined to rebuild what he had lost. He just hadn't imagined an end to the future.

 _I must change the future…_


	2. Growing Up

Ten years earlier…2015

Will knelt before a girl named Marie and asked her to be his own. A tender smile emerged on her face as she said softly, "Yes." Will was overjoyed and could not be happier. But no sooner had this occurred that tragedy struck again.

Marie had gone off to a camp one day and Will thought he would visit her as a surprise. Only the scene he walked in on could not have destroyed him more. He saw his fiancé and his best friend, Steve, making love, and so he ran. Fast. Fast enough and blind enough to realize he was no longer looking where he was going. And Will fell.

 _How I wished I had actually fallen._

But instead, by some miracle of God, Will was saved by a mysterious figure. He could not make out her face, nor did he understand how she was flying. All he knew was that she was beautiful and had red hair. She placed him at the edge and kissed him on his cheek. Will knew he must find that woman, but how could he? He was engaged and hated dating. He had been bullied his whole life. He didn't want to leave Marie out of fear, so he walked home.

When he returned Steve was gone and Marie consoled him, begging forgiveness. Will bade her not to speak to anyone of this and that if Steve valued his life, he would do the same. Will then went outside and returned to his swords and his martial arts. He had always been a fan of the art of combat. It was as graceful as a dance, but with the passion and vigor of the primal struggle that fueled humans at heart. Most people believed in the descent of man. Others said it was folly. Will was a bit more realistic. It didn't matter. We were savages. We preyed on the misery of others. Something had happened that day. All the hope and goodness in Will had been compartmentalized and voices he had learned to control were arising.

A few months later…

Will had had it with Marie. Sure Marie had apologized and they had been intimate, but Will lost any feelings he had for her. Her loss. He had broken their engagement off but still stayed with her, but both of them he was going to leave her when he was heading off to college. However, he still kept his ring, and wore it. For even worse than dying to Will was to be alone. And even if it was a lie, he still kept it. And that is exactly what happened. The day Will was driving off to college was when things got crazy.

 _Why did I have to drive? Maybe I would have missed that stupid portal._

And just as quickly as Will was in New Jersey, he was suddenly in a strange land. A voice called out to him.

"Fear not Will, for it is I, the Archangel Michael. I have been tasked with training you."

"For what?"

"For saving humanity."

"Alright. Let's do this."

And Will and Michael trained. You see, Will had been endowed with powers different from ordinary humans. He was telekinetic and could summon lightning at his will. He also found that he could teleport with the lightning. And on top of it all, he had been given twin light sabers. They were blue, like his eyes, and Will emerged after what felt like years as an unstoppable force. His mind and his body were as brilliant as all the angels combined, and even that wouldn't have been enough. But his loyalty had secured his humility, and so no threat was observed to God. Michael returned Will to his world, where time had not passed for him. In fact, it had not moved forward at all. Rather, the world Will landed in was one he thought of fantasy.


	3. Welcome to Austria

He was in Austria, a countryside dominated by the feudal system in whatever time it was. He called to Michael but received no answer. Rather than simply go about blasting the world with his new powers he had spent a lifetime perfecting, Will scavenged around for weapons of the time and walked into town with his black hood drawn.

Outrage and rebellion were befalling the town as he noticed some type of uniformed soldier guard beat back another band of different soldiers and some peasants. Will normally avoided conflicts. After all, if this was history, why would he change anything? People die. Monarchs fall. Such is the order of life.

 _And then I met her…_

Behind the royal guard was she, the woman of his dreams. She was beautiful. Will couldn't believe it, but he had to save her. He had to know why she had saved him and given him a second chance at life.

Will leaped into the crowd and struck some peasants. The Austrians fell before the mighty Italian (although Will was more an Austrian himself than Italian) as his fists connected and broke their shields. In his lifetime of training, Will had perfected his body. But he was only superhuman in that he chose to make the best of the gifts given to him. Nonetheless, the shields splintered, and Will landed numerous kicks on the unarmed crowd before drawing his sword to block the armed assailants. The blades flickered, but none could best him. He instilled courage in the soldiers and they rallied, pushing the army back until they were in a full retreat. The soldiers cheered until the royals moved forward. First the emperor came and offered Will his gratitude. Will asked why he had been attacked. And the emperor replied that it was because of his daughter, the beauty with red hair. The emperor had decided to advocate for his daughter's right to his throne, but the other nobles had rebelled and they favored a different noble to ascend to the throne. Prince James of Sweden was leading the rebellion, and it was destroying the countryside. While the people were initially strongly opposed, they quivered in response to the Swedish army, the greatest of the time.

"What can I do to help?" asked Will, for even though he cared not for the fate of the political situation, he had to help this woman who had saved him. She kept avoiding his gaze and he couldn't understand why. Her face was even more beautiful than he had thought.

"Tell me, how did you learn to fight like that?"

"It is by the grace of God that I am here."

"Well thanks be to God then. My countryside is strong, and we can win this war, but my people doubt my line's ability to survive. My daughter's head is now the most highly sought after bounty as she is my only one and her death would leave no male's any claim to the throne, and my country would fall within months. I have treasure beyond measure, but my greatest is my daughter. I need you to protect her."

"I would be honored, but keep your treasure. Looking upon her countenance of gold and silver is more than compensatory."

And so Will joined them and escorted the princess to her room. She refused to talk to him. Whenever he tried to talk to her, she simply ignored him. This continued for days until one night she entered his room. Will hadn't the slightest reason why until he heard the clink of metal. He could tell she wasn't interested in harming him. Only scaring him, so he kept his eyes closed and waited for her to raise her hand. As fast as lightning, his arm grabbed hers with the knife and sat up in bed. Will was shirtless in bed and she was in her evening gowns. It was a good thing he had his sheets covering his waist for she was very fair.

"Why are you raising a knife to me? I am your protector."

"I need no protection. Not you, not James, not Mark, nor Thomas. At least you have the pleasure of being not noble. It makes your air more tolerable."

"Apparently not enough."

At this he observed a small smile come to her face, but then quickly fade away.

"Release me."

"No."

"It is a crime to ignore your princess."

"It is a crime to kill is it not?"

"Not if you are the princess who was attacked by her protector who was lusting for her." she said as she gestured down.

Feeling embarrassed, "Forgive me. It's involuntary. It's really a compliment if you think about it…"

At this her other hand went to smack his face, but he also caught that one.

"What are you going to do to me?"

"I'm going to ask you to release the knife."

"Why? So you can have your way with me. You're no different from the other…"

"No."

"What? You obviously find me alluring."

"You don't remember me do you?"

"Should I?"

 _Apparently not._ "I was in the middle of a very good dream. I believe I can return there. I only ask that when I release your arms you simply leave my room. Okay?"

She nodded. And Will released her. Will rolled over and no sooner had he done so that he heard his door close. But she hadn't left. Instead, she jumped on him and had him in a headlock. It would be easy for Will to get out, but he wasn't positive about any man. _She's good._ _I better let her win. I am her protector after all._ And he tapped out. But she didn't let go. So Will had to gently remove her and put her on the bed. She got up and threw a jab at his abdomen. And Will willed his body to soften up so her hands did not break. She continued to wham at him for minutes, and he would block them graciously. Mostly he was impressed by her stamina and form. _Perhaps she is an angel that was also trained by Michael?_ But trying to test this, he picked her up. But to his surprise, she had tears and was not struggling. Will held her close to his bare chest and she nuzzled it and hugged him. Now Will was really confused. This woman clearly didn't need protection, but she clearly craved it. _Just probably didn't want to admit it_. He put her down and she left the room. Will tried to go back to sleep but could not for his door opened a few minutes later. His acute mind could tell exactly where the princess was but he could not tell what her intentions were. The next thing he knew he was not alone. He rolled over to see her in bed with him. She hugged his chest and began to sob. Will simply comforted the princess until she fell asleep in his arms. As the sun was rising (for Will hadn't slept at all), he gently lifted her up and carried her to her room where she awoke with a note he had written.

It read: "Best not to let any suspicions arise. My door is always open. I only live to serve the future empress."

And although he couldn't see the smile on her face, he knew it was genuine.


	4. Sparks Fly and Swords Cross

(The Present)

Will continued to prowl the streets in search of any free life. Most of humanity was chained in servitude to the Supreme Emperor. Literally in chains. The hot iron was plastered on at birth and so humans were now growing up with chains engorged to remind them of whom they served. Evil had befallen humanity. Such that was never before. Will could not believe he had let this befallen fate ruin humanity.

(Medieval time)

Will awoke the next morning and was frying potatoes, peppers, and sausage when the princess joined with her numerous servants and chefs. But she stopped and asked what smelled so delicious. Will replied that it was breakfast.

"I've had breakfast before, but it never produced an aroma like this. May I try?"

"Anything for you my princess."

The princess loved it and said, "You, chef, learn immediately. For I wish to have this every day for at least a year."

"I'm afraid I can't do that." said Will. The entire room gasped. How dare someone defy the future ruler? Will realized he needed to continue or risk his situation and compromising his powers. "I mean, I can of course, but your chef lacks the skills and proper ingredients."

"Go on", the princess asked annoyed, although a bit intrigued at the brazen Italian.

"You see, cooking is like making love. I have no experience at either. Which is why I cannot teach it. Every time I make it, it comes out differently. I don't use the same amount of peppers or kinds, same goes for sausage, the temperature, the oil…you see your majesty, this cannot be perfected. I can only hope that, like myself, if I am myself, someone may find something pleasing about me and my cooking." And when no one was looking he winked at her. She did her best to cover the blush, but when their eyes connected… well he knew at least his heart melted. She had the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen and her entire face was as if carved by Michelangelo himself. _I wonder if he's alive at this point. I really have no idea when I am._

"Very well then. I will just have to join you for breakfast each day and sample your methods. Be off, he's my guard anyway."

"But mi lady…" said a Brit who was trying to protest. "Your father wished for you to be guarded by the best. Surely you do not think this one man can best even one of my men not to mention me or all of us combined?"

"If my **majesty** would will it, I can demonstrate how I would be able to ensure no harm came to her." And with that Will stood up, his button up had been undone before, and now his full muscular chest was exposed. Will towered over the British guard and flexed his muscle as he tauntingly reached for the salt next to the guard. Seeing an opportunity, the Brit slammed his metal glove on Will's arm, only it never connected. Will's other arm grabbed the man by the elbow and held it in place while his other arm grabbed the salt and sprinkled it on his food. He then handed the plate to the princess in his free arm and winked at her again. This time she could not hide the blush at all. And then with his arm holding the Brit, flipped him over.

"Draw your sword." And the Brit did. Will did not however, he simply waited patiently. The Brit jabbed to which Will merely sidestepped. A repeat jab followed by another simple dodge.

"You're quick."

"No, you're just slow."

And the Brit captain lunged again only this time Will tripped him jammed his elbow on the man's back, pinning him to the ground. Instead of doing the honorable thing and yielding, the captain called for the guards to attack Will, and so Will picked up the captain and threw him at the charging guard. All but four were knocked out. _At this rate I won't even have to use my sword, much less my powers._

Technically, Will was at an advantage, His body had been training for nearly a century without aging, so his muscle density and bone mass were beyond comparison. Such as that he could dent steel without any injury to himself. His broad forearms were the best shields in all of Europe. He blocked the charging onslaught and with jabs to the abdomen decommissioned the guard in a matter of seconds. He was not aiming to kill, only assert his dominance and stake his claim as the princess' champion.

"My hero." He heard playfully and sarcastically from the princess.

"Forgive the mess, your highness. I only wished to demonstrate my resolve and abilities."

"And that you did," said the king as he entered. Will immediately went to one knee.

"My lord, I wish to apologize for this brawl. I merely wished to defend your honor in choosing me as the princess' champion."

"And that you did. I wish all my soldier fought like you. Then all of Europe would be at my knees!" He laughed at the joke and offered his hand to Will.

"Come, you need not kneel before me. How else could you keep your eyes on protecting my daughter?"

At this the princess replied, "Indeed. Come. I wish to walk in the gardens." And Will joined her.

"I see you still wear a ring but there is no love in your eyes nor any talk of wife or children."

"And I see you have not even commented on last night."

"Then let's play truth or dare." suggested the princess. I will start.

Will replied, "Truth."

"Explain the ring."

"My greatest fear is to be alone. I have forsaken love, but keeping this ring avoids uncomfortable gazes from strangers. They cannot judge what they believe to be a married man. And it keeps the young floozies away.

"I wanted to know more about the woman who gave it to you."

"Maybe next time, ;)" And she blushed again.

"That's not fair and you know it." replied the princess.

"Her name was Marie. We had been dating for two years, and I loved her. But she broke my heart when she slept with my best friend and blamed it on me. And I took it because I was afraid."

"You do not seem cowardly in the slightest sense. And why would anyone cheat on you? I mean you're practically a work of fiction. You're witty, strong, humble, softly spoken to those you care about, and you treat all with dignity. Your hair is beautiful and your eyes…"

"I appreciate the kind words, but I must desist. I am but merely your servant. You are to be courted by royalty and will rule nations. I am but a lone broken warrior."

"Being royal is not desirable to me. The royals who courted me broke my heart. And Prince James…"

"What?"

"He robbed me of my virtue. Unless I am to be killed, I cannot wed or I must wed him. For any man would notice I am not pure."

"I would not kill you."

"You would also not bed me, I think. Don't think I forgot about that display last night…but by the way," she whispered, "you'd be one hell of an entertainer for my bachelorette party." And she sashayed away.

 _Damn she has a nice ass…wait I'm supposed to be protecting her not watching her walk away._ And Will moved next to her, hoping she wouldn't look down. Instead she did much worse. At the bench, she pushed him onto it and sat on his lap, carefully avoiding his manhood, almost as if she was expecting it.

"I can't figure you out" she said. "You're gorgeous, you're a brilliant fighter, and you're kind and compassionate. I read through your log and I must say I haven't seen more impressive math figures in all of the colleges. Your mind would rival the best of all Europe. Why are you here? I noticed you from afar and you did not have to run into the fight. Tell me the truth or else."

"I simply wanted to serve my king and princess." And as he finished that, she edged closer to his manhood and applied a little pressure to it.

"I said no lies."

"I do not know whether it was a dream or real, but I was saved by you. You flew down and saved my life as I was falling. I do not know how, but it was you."

She backed off. "Your eyes don't lie, but I believe you are mistaken."

"I know beauty when I see it."

"That must have been a great dream then."

"It must have been."

"I don't dream. I have no reason to be happy."

"I used to be like that up until a few days ago." And Will smiled a handsome smile at her. But she looked away and began to walk away.

"Truth or dare?" Will called to her. She was puzzled. "It's my turn," he replied.

She smiled and said "Truth."

"What is your name?"

And it is the most beautiful name ever uttered by a human being. Her full name. Because many people have her first name, and some have her last name, middle name, confirmed name, etc. But her name, was simply beautiful.

"My turn," she said.

"Dare," said Will.

"Remove your ring and throw it as far…but only do it when you have found love."

"Alright," said Will. And the two walked out. Later that night, Will stood before the river. He spoke the princess' name followed by three words. "I love you." And he cast his ring far into the river. It was never to be seen again. He knew he had found the love of his life. But would she ever love him?


	5. A Budding Romance (Lemon)

(Present)

Will came upon the ruins of a church. Kneeling before the altar. He saw that it had been destroyed. He saw the only figure that remained untouched was that of the Archangel Michael. _The Emperor is mocking me!_

(Austria)

Months of flirting continued between the two love birds, but Will hadn't a clue. The princess had become crowned as the empress and so assumed more duties. She promoted Will to be her personal champion and captain of the royal guard and adviser to military strategies as her personal aide. Will hadn't a clue the empress had grown fond of him, for he had accepted to simply be a lover from afar. She was royalty after all, and he was a man out of time. He had no idea how much longer he would be here before another portal took him away. One day the two were walking through the garden again.

"You're quite oblivious Captain."

"That is not true. Not a single bean goes misplaced under my watch!" And this was true, Will had actually rid the castle and town of all its rodents and so literally not a bean went missing.

The empress stopped and grabbed Will by his cheeks. "You're so adorable I just want to do this all day."

"My empress, if it pleases you, allow it to never stop."

"Well I can't just hold your cheeks all day."

"Oh?"

"Correct." and she moved her hands down to touch his muscular chest. She began to bite her lip. Will felt a strange sensation. For the first time in his life, he wasn't in control of his body. He could feel his erection growing and was praying that it would just stop.

"You okay?" asked the empress.

"Why wouldn't I be, you're just touching my body lightly and biting your lip and…"

And then Will felt her get closer and she grabbed what he had hoped she would not.

"You don't seem alright."

"Oh that, well, that's just uh…"

"What was that?" And she pushed him on the ground. Will looked into her eyes and could see desire overflowing from her irises. Finally, he understood. He obviously wanted this, but he did not want to ruin any of the empress' future chances at marriage. Plus, where were the other guards?

"Where," he weakly asked as she had started to rub her leg on his massive manhood, inching closer to her nether regions, "are all the guards."

"Out. I am the empress. And my commands are always obeyed. You will obey your empress?"

"Yes." Will said weakly, practically bursting at the seams.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked with a sexy smile.

"Umm." _Shit do I just say it?_ But before Will's innocence completely stuttered its way into oblivion, a more confident voice arose inside Will's head. Boldly, Will didn't say anything, but instead grabbed her by the hair and pulled her into a long deep kiss that had both of them gasping at the end. Then they repeated and Will subtly removed her dress. She didn't notice though because Will's other hand was rubbing in her favorite spot. Will was an excellent pianist and so his fingers were as fine-tuned as his fighting skills. The empress really had no idea what was going on. Soon, she was naked and on the verge of climaxing as his fingers swirled around, hard and fast. Her mouth stretched as if to shout more, but no words came out. Suddenly Will stopped, and immediately her consciousness returned. But she wasn't pleased.

"Why did you stop?"

"I'm still clothed, and I thought you were going to do what I wanted?"

"Please continue…"

"No."

"I'm the empress. You do what I say."

"No. ;)" Will could see his disobedience was turning her on, but just to make sure she didn't get annoyed he grazed her area with his fingers, which was enough to send a chill up her spine. Will then removed his shirt and asked her to pleasure his manhood. The empress was more than eager to oblige.

She removed his trousers and like a jack in the box, it sprung up, overjoyed to finally be recognized by the empress. She gently stroked it in one hand until she could see a frustrated look on Will's face.

"Please use your mouth…" Will whimpered. Realizing she had him, the empress moved forward to tease him. She used her magnificent tongue to swirl around his shaft, like a candy cane. Will was on the verge of climaxing when she took him into her mouth. At first she started out shallow, but then she took him as deep as she could (about halfway), before returning, gasping for breath.

"You're quite thick. It's very impressive."

Will couldn't help but smile, and as he did, she repeated herself, and took him even more again. Will could feel a tightening around his head and when she released him, he knew it wouldn't be long. Realizing he needed to regain control lest she make him come after a minute of pleasure, he pushed her off of him and sent his right hand back to work pleasuring the empress. Up and down and rapidly he swirled and prodded. Rough and fast, and when she whispered harder, he was more than eager to comply. But then she stopped him.

"I want you inside me."

Will didn't hesitate and began to enter. He was quite nervous as he was still a virgin, but he would do anything for his empress, including for her pleasure. Will entered slowly and shallowly. The empress had not realized the girth of his manhood, so she asked him to go very slowly. Once she had gotten used to it, she begged him to explore further, and so Will began to move in slowly, never going more than halfway in. And from his view, he could see her face helpless and simply panting for air. He asked if he could go deeper and she barely managed to nod her head. And so Will went all the way in, which sent a thrill of pleasure into the empress like nothing before. It was here the princess collapsed on Will in a thundering orgasm that left her body weak and numb. The mere sight of her orgasm and the subsequent buildup was enough to push Will over and he pulled out, preparing to cum somewhere outside. But to his surprise, the empress emerged for a moment and stroked him right near her face until his juices showered the royal beauty like hot rain. Will collapsed, realizing he had never had such a finish and doubted he ever could again. But then saw her and realized this was just the beginning.

After what felt like a lifetime, Will began to stand up and put on his clothes. The empress still lay, utterly spent and simply muttering about how amazing she felt and how she only wanted to cuddle with her champion. Covering the empress in her clothes and dressing himself, Will carried her out of the garden, explaining she had fainted under the heat. Carefully, he took her chambers and laid her down. As he turned to go, he heard his love speak to him,

"Don't go. Stay and cuddle. That's a…order."

And Will obeyed. He removed his clothes and went into bed with her. Almost instinctively, she rolled over onto his chest and found sleep within seconds. Will, realizing he couldn't be any happier to have his love cuddle in his arms, soon found sleep too.


	6. Bumps

The days continued much like that. While the empress was quite busy and so was Will, they still found time to secretly indulge their desires. And the empress never slept alone either. She had Will sneak into her room every night. Seeing as Will was the only one allowed in the upper halls, it was quite easy and no one suspected. In fact, the ladies of the court often flirted with the handsome champion. One in particular irritated the empress, the lady Katelyn. She and all her conspirators were then shortly and promptly dismissed on royal orders for accusations of prostitution and adultery. All swiftly enforced by the empress who was law. None were killed, for she was merciful, but they were simply barred from the castle. Will simply chuckled. But one night as they were cuddling, he asked her about her actions.

"They had nothing but lust in their eyes for you. You wouldn't want them and they would have distracted you with their advances."

"Oh? I am unmarried, promised to no one, and enjoy sex. I do not see a problem with their advances."

And with that he was promptly pushed out of bed. He could tell he had went too far. Rather than get back up, he rolled under the bed and surprised her from the other side with a long kiss. She at first resisted but realized she couldn't any more.

"I love you." spoke Will. "You're absolutely right and you knew from my eyes that I only can and will ever love you."

But the empress was just silent. Will's heart stood on the verge of breaking.

He called her by her name, but she corrected him.

"That's your highness. Now leave me at once Captain. That's an order. Or do you want to be executed?"

Silently, Will got up and left, but before he touched the door, he turned around and shouted.

"I confessed my heart for you. You knew from my eyes and my actions that I live for you. That I give all I have for you. And yet I make a joke and you push me out. That is not fair. I do not say I love you easily. In fact, I have never said it with this much strength and passion ever before. You are the love of my life. And I refuse to let you believe otherwise."

But before he could reach her, she shouted, "Get out and go fuck yourself, or better yet go fuck the lady Katelyn. You know you want to and you know she wants to."

With that, Will shed a single tear and said softly. "I would never do that. I only love you."

And he left. Both lovers spent many nights crying but none dared speak a word to each other. Will still accompanied and protected her, but there conversations lacked any passion.

(Present)

 _I was stupid. I should never have made that joke._ Will was shortly interrupted by a transmission from the Emperor's castle. It was propaganda for the emperor and why his regime had instilled order and security in the world. _The Emperor was right. There was order. But his calculations had led to removing all elements of free will from life. And that was what life was worth living for. That and love._


	7. France

(Austria)

The following months had been tough months for Will, but great to Austria. News of the Champion of Austria inspired the people. When Will competed in international fencing, jousts, and fighting, he emerged unscathed and victorious each time. But he didn't boast. He always went over to his empress and bowed before her and kissed her rings before standing up and taking his place behind her and her royal suitor of the month. Prince James had stopped his attack, and Austria reached peace with Sweden. Prince James went about courting the empress. The country was even more united and they saw the power their empress commanded. But really, it was respect for her champion, the shield and sword of the empress – the Italian (who was really more Austrian thanks to his mother ((love you mom!))) with the broken heart but perfect body. The empress had been growing angry with her people's affection towards her champion, particularly the females. She would see Will talk to many, but her handmaidens always saw him retire alone in his chambers just as the sun was setting. She was utterly befuddled. Why had he not taken advantage of his looks? Especially when he saw her with James every day. She wondered, _does he still love me?_ _Was I wrong to banish him from my side? Was he sincere in his confession? I must find out._

Will had travelled to France, alone, to represent Austria in fencing. He loved the French accent and he had never had a French woman. But like his other trips, he knew he would not partake in lovemaking or sex for he neither loved anyone other than the empress nor could he forget her image.

The tournament progressed smoothly and had Will not been heartbroken and distracted, he would have noticed a strange anomaly. But the fact that his empress had not joined him was breaking his heart. Even with this handicap, Will could have fenced with a tenth of his heart and might and still won every battle within minutes. And he did win, but he was oblivious to a new fighter. He was not the only Austrian fighting.

It was only in the championship fight that Will recognized the crest of his own country. Befuddled, he recognized the armor. It had been that of the British captain he bested on his first day of alone time with the empress. Growing enraged Will charged. Instead of trying to parry, the captain merely sidestepped and tripped Will. Realizing he had acted emotionally, Will regained his composure and crossed blades. He was quite impressed. As he swished to the right, he merely parried in turn while landing an armored fist to Will's abdomen. _He even went for the right place on the body. He must have been studying._

Realizing he would have to change tactics as he was merely two points away from losing, he stood still and waited. This time, the Brit went on the offensive, and then Will had him. He parried and managed to disarm the Brit with a mere flick at the wrist. As the blade fell, Will stepped on it as the Brit crawled for the blade. Will stopped him and rolled him over.

"Why are you here, have I not bested you enou…"

And through the visor of the helmet he saw the eyes of his lover. _It's her, but why is she here. I cannot let anyone know this is suspicious._

"My friend, it is good to see you. You fought valiantly. I offer you my hand if you offer me your blade."

She smiled at his act and accepted the offer. The crowd cheered for the unstoppable Austrian. Later that night, Will and the empress went to the local tavern. Outside of her royal robes, she was even more radiant, and had Will not kept his arm tightly around her, who knows how any guys he would have to kill?

"Why did you come?"

"I wanted to show you I could fight my own battles. That I don't need you."

"So you came to break my heart."

"No. I simply came to prove I can defend my own country."

"Then why hide it?"

"Hello?! Boobs! A woman cannot fight in this man's world. The country would never accept me as their champion. That's why they need you."

"But you're saying you don't need me to fight for you."

"That is correct…"

"And you have your suitor. Surely he is enough of a façade. Either way, I'm leaving." And Will got up to leave.

"But I want you to fight for me", she said to him as he got up. "I want you to accompany me home. James doesn't cuddle right."

At that Will turned red with rage and tried to turn, but was caught by the empress. She grabbed his hand and turned him around and looked at his eyes. But Will averted his gaze.

"He's nowhere near anything of your caliber. You are the man I want. But I cannot have you. You are not of nobility. But you are the only real man I have ever met. I need my man. To satisfy me. To make me happy. To love me. Please, Will."

Will turned his head and softly said, "I live to serve your majesty."

As he bowed his head before her, she picked up his chin and looked at him.

"It's Valentina." And with that she kissed him.

(Present)

 _Valentina. It truly is the most beautiful name in the whole world. And to be allowed to call her that. It was an honor. Why oh why did I leave her in her time of need? Why did I fail her?_

How Will wished to be back in Austria with the love of his life. Instead, he bore a heavy heart. The shame of what he had done when he returned had destroyed their love. Will was interrupted when he heard the shouts of a man running through the street. He was being chased by enforcer drones that were tracking his chain. Will charged forward and ignited his light saber. The blue blade made short work of the first one while a bolt of lightning quickly dispatched the other. The man cowered before Will and begged for mercy.

"Do not be afraid. I have come to right the terrible evil that befalls this place. You're Emperor and I have a long history together. And he will pay for what he did to me and my happiness."


	8. Heartbreak

(Austria)

James was growing suspicious of the empress' affections for her champion that he decided to advance upon her one night. She was enjoying a cup of tea with Will when he demanded to make love to his future bride. She was obviously not interested, but James insisted that she must perform her duties.

"Future bride?" asked the empress.

"Oh like you would marry anyone else. We have been courted. It's only a matter of procuring enough taxes to fasten the most beautiful ring," replied James.

"What stone will you use?" asked Will.

"You dare address me, the future Emperor, captain?"

"What stone will you use?" repeated the empress.

"Diamond of course! The finest man has ever seen!" boasted James.

But Will shook his head and said one word. "Moonstone."

"What?" asked the empress and James in unison, but for different reasons? The empress was intrigued while James was rather annoyed that he would suggest such a cheap stone.

"It's my empress' favorite stone." And the empress choked back a tear. If only Will knew how much she loved him for saying that, he would have kissed her.

"Well, thank you for your opinion. Come, my bride to be. Let us be off."

"No. I don't want to go. I want to finish my tea and then retire to my own chambers."

And with that he slapped her. "How dare you disobey your future husband?!"

Had the empress' hand not came up as Will was preparing to stand up and kill, James would never have moved again. Instead, he saw his command and stayed put. Rather, the empress apologized and said she would go.

Boastingly, James looked at Will and declared, "As if anyone else would ever love you as I do. You're much too odd for any of the other princes. But I understand you, my love."

Will looked to her and hoped she would meet his eyes and realize he loved her far more than this swine could ever, but she did not. Instead she got up and avoided Will's gaze and accompanied James down the hall.

Will called to her and she turned around. "Valentina, I love you." But she just turned away and continued to walk. Then she stopped and said, "It's your majesty, Captain."

Will began to cry and ran away. He ran. Just as he had before. But he didn't expect the next thing to happen. He tripped, and he gashed his head on the furniture. A loud crash and pain echoed throughout the castle. Blood was protruding from his right cheek and Will prayed for death to meet him, although he knew Michael wouldn't let him get away so easily. _Where was that guy? Can't he see my suffering?_ But as Will lay there, heartbroken, he simply prayed for Michael not to come. But he was awoken by an angel soon enough.


	9. A Darkness Awakens

(Present)

The man he had saved was called Jake. Will removed his chain and asked him if he could fight, but then saw Jake's condition. Jake was missing an arm and was overworked. Will bolted them to an abandoned farm and spent months taking care of Jake, searching for more escapees and built a cybernetic arm for his friend. Jake was a computer expert and he was able to help Will avoid detection of the Emperor's satellites, and the cybernetic arm made him the ultimate hacker. However, no new survivors were found. And security was tripled globally. As the Emperor sat at his throne, he looked at the image of Will and pondered how he would solve this problem. He thought he had already disposed of him once, a long time ago, but time had not been fair to him.

"Honey, it's time for your evening pleasure…come hither. You wouldn't want to keep me waiting."

And the Emperor got up and smirked. "Of course not, my empress."

(Austria)

When Will opened his eyes, the tears obstructed the view, but he saw his love dabbing his cheek with her dress and shedding tears of her own.

"Forgive me Will. I should never have denied my feelings. I have never felt this way to anyone as I do to you. I told you I didn't need protection before, but I could never want a champion more than I do now. I want you…I love you." And then she kissed him on the lips. She had finally returned his love.

"Whore!" shouted James. "The whole country will know of this treachery. I am to be the future emperor! Mark my words." And he stormed towards the couple.

"No. You will never have that!" shouted Will. James froze as he heard the Italian's voice boom. "YOU CANNOT HAVE HER!" And he stood up and cauterized the wound discreetly with his lightning, leaving behind a small scar. Then, with passion overflowing, Will stood between James and the empress and challenged him to come take her. James withdrew a revolver and told Will to move. But he didn't. Instead, Will drew his sword. James fired. Will, cut it in half with his sword flicker and sent the halves into the wall. (For you physics people, keep in mind that physics don't apply to Will since he is a telekinetic. Thus he can apply forces of any magnitude to any object simply by thinking it.) James reloaded as Will stepped closer. Will towered over the pathetic coward and grabbed him by the neck and knocked the revolver out of his hand. Then, he threw him on the ground.

"Get up and fight!"

James got up slowly He was nervous and scared, but he knew if he didn't fight he would surely die. He threw a punch. _Wide left hook, careless._ Will used his right hand to block before returning with a jab to James' abdomen, which was quickly followed by a knee to the ribcage and then a sweep with his left leg.

"Get up!" Will shouted.

This time, James did so, but grabbed a handful of powder and tried to blind Will with his next punch, but Will had anticipated this treachery and had his eyes closed the whole time. Sure the punch hit him, but Will's adrenaline and physique prevented any pain and the powder landed harmlessly on the ground. Then, Will launched a massive right hook that broke the remaining ribs. Will picked up James and slammed him against the wall and launched what seemed like a million hornets at this man, but they were his hardened fists of steel. Then he threw him down again.

"Get up and fight you pathetic waste of air."

James did not though. Instead he crawled away in the opposite direction. Will seeing the cowardice stepped on his back.

"You coward. You don't deserve to live!" And as he was bringing down his fist for the final fatal blow, he heard a voice.

"Stop!"

It was the empress. Will immediately stopped.

"Let him go. He is finished. He cannot harm me anymore." Will understood and told James to leave. And he fled with his tail between his legs. Will collapsed, not because he was damaged, but because he was exhausted from such an expression of emotion. He slipped into a deep sleep.


	10. Picking up the Pieces

Present

"Jake, what year is it?"

"Does it matter? Hell is eternal."

"This isn't Hell. I trained in Hell and fought demons as warmups."

Jake was clearly confused, but Will explained it was a joke. Jake chuckled. "Hadn't heard one of those in a while."

"We need to put an end to this regime, said Will. "Humanity deserves freedom, happiness, and the right to live as men and women, not as slaves to a cruel master."

"Easier said than done. It's two versus the world."

"Not entirely. The Emperor may have drones, reformed cyborgs, and an army of martial art clones, but the people of this world are only loyal to him out of fear. Let's make them not fear him anymore."

"Okay. I'll bite. How?"

"The Emperor uses the chains to communicate with the world or select channels, correct? So why can't we hack into it and send our own message discreetly?"

"But what good would that do? His drones would just as soon be on us as we uttered the first word."

"I have a feeling they won't."

And so Will did that, and no drones came. All he asked for was the emperor's location. And he got it.

(Austria)

When James returned to Sweden, he raised an army of nobles, but none of the peasant soldiers joined. James was shocked and received word from the prime minister that the country had elected to revolt against the monarch. And James was quickly driven out to England and Sweden had created a new government. It may have been that James didn't notice, but before he returned, Will had taken to horseback and arrived days before his carriage and proposed a new union between Austria and Sweden. With a champion such as Will proposing a union, who could say no? It was either that or fight an army led by this Italian. And Will repeated this for all the countries that dare opposed Austria, which was none, surprisingly. The empress had also been very productive. She visited all of their neighbors and built strong alliances. She impressed the delegates with her mind and all were eager to join her. While some nations were more difficult, she only had to mention her champion once to them for them to come to their senses and accept the empress' offer.

Will had been kept busy with his other duties. Austria's military had been in poor state and if they wanted to stay in shape, they would need a well-oiled machine that would work without Will, for Will hoped that one day he and Valentina could just settle down. But she was the empress. What could he do? Well these troubles weighed on his mind, he built the military. It was a strong well-disciplined unit with three major levels. At the top was the white guard, personally commanded by Will. They were 1,000 hand selected knights personally trained by Will and loyal to him and the empress. They would protect the royal family and were all prepared to take a bullet for the empress. Beneath that was the Red Guard, the civilian guard. This protected the countryside and secured the borders. And then, there was the blue guard. This was the massive army that would march over Europe at the empress' command. This scared nations. With 30,000 horses strong and more than 100,000 infantry, it dwarfed all others. Austria was set to take the world by storm. But thankfully, winds of peace filled Europe and all welcomed Austria as a respected ally and showered it in tribute.


	11. Rising Action

The empress was very pleased with Will's work and with the country that she threw a royal ball to knight Will and bestow upon him lordship within the nation. Will did not realize the significance of this until he was too late.

As Will dressed for the ball, he sported his favorite blue vest that complimented his eyes and black suit attire. He felt good, attractive, and distinguished. This was his night. He was amidst daydreaming when he heard a knock at his door. He opened it and practically melted. Standing before him in a matching blue dress was his love. She smiled a beautiful smile at him and he knew he could never love another. For she looked beautiful, but it was her inner beauty that convinced him he had not made a mistake. Her smile conveyed only love for him and it was as if she was wearing his heart for him.

"I need my captain to escort me. You are my champion, are you not?"

"That I am, my empress."

"It's Valentina, mi il Tesoro."

"What does that mean?"

"Are you not Italian?"

"I am, but I do not speak it."

"Well, it means my treasure. Because you are. I love you. Ti amo."

"Ti amo mi amor." he said to her as they approached the stairs. The whole ensemble of the country greeted them and they cheered for him. The ladies swooned at the sight of Will, and the lords bowed their heads as she walked by and then looked up to observe her ass as she walked past them. Both individuals noticed this, but couldn't care less. They were each other's. And that's all that mattered.

(Present)

Will and Jake hurried through the ruins of what had once been New York City. It had been rebuilt in the Emperor's image, and it reflected his dominance. Gaps impossible to traverse without Will's spectacular athletics and a network of circuits impossible to decipher without his brain and Jake's hacking abilities. Jake's cybernetic arm had also been fitted with an ion cannon that could make short work of anything it came into contact with. The two were an unstoppable force. That and no drones had been deployed. Despite the heavy security and billions of people alive, none were in New York.

 _This is all probably a trap. But what choice do I have. He took everything from me._


	12. The Ball

(Austria)

The dance was beautiful, elegant, and witty. Will and the empress were a power couple. None could stop them and everyone wanted to be them. Various suitors tried to meet the princess, but she simply refused to stop dancing with Will. She was entranced by his eyes and he by hers.

"I could look into your eyes forever," said the empress.

"And I can't stop." said Will. He leaned in for a kiss, but she stopped him, reminding they were in public. But to her shock and surprise, he leaned in even closer and whispered, "Stay right here."

Will moved over to the orchestra and asked them to stop. Then he spoke,

"May I have everyone's attention please? Thank you. I would like to thank you all for coming for the free food." This was met by a chuckle. "But now we are going to transition into the more serious part of the evening. For while I am the guest of honor, I am also the entertainment," he said as he sat down at the piano. And he began to play.

"I call it your song, and I wish to dedicate it to my empress."

" _It's a little bit funny._

 _This feeling inside._

 _I'm not one of those who can._

 _Easily hide._

 _Don't have much money, but_

 _Boy if I did!_

 _I'd buy a big house where_

 _We both could live._

 _If I was a sculptor._

 _But then again, no, or a man_

 _who makes potions in a_

 _traveling show._

 _I know it's not much but it's the best I can do_

 _My gift is my song, and this one's for you._

At this the empress started to walk over and sat next to her knight.

 _And you can tell everybody._

 _That this is your song._

 _It may be quite simple but,_

 _Now that it's done._

 _I hope you don't mind_

 _I hope you don't mind_

 _That I put down the words:_

 _How wonderful life is, when you're in the world._

At this he motioned for the original pianist to return and continue the bridge and melody.

"Valentina," he stated, "These past three years have been the best of my life, and I know more will only be better. I will never stop loving you. I therefore get before you. Your champion, on his knees as I have always been and offer this humble ring to you, begging that when you let me rise I may be yours forever." And he pulled out the ring that was an elegant and interwoven silver ring with leaf imprints and an amethyst stone at the top.

"Yes!" she exclaimed. "I will love and cherish you always as my champion, my knight, and, as my eternal love. I will marry you, and I will proudly be your wife."

"And I will proudly be your husband." At this he stood up and kissed her. This was met with thunderous applause and a few bawls from the ladies comprising Will's fan club. But not even this could upset Valentina or Will. For they had each other and they knew they always would.


	13. Last Level

(The Present)

Will ignited his saber. Trouble had found him and Jake. Jake primed his cannon. They stood crouched behind fallen debris. On the other side were ten of the emperor's elite guard. Trained in the martial arts and wielding red light sabers, these were not just random security. A trap had been laid. But just as they thought things were bad, the drones showed up, flanking them from the rear.

"Can you handle the drones?" asked Will.

"With pleasure," Jake said as he fired his first shot, hitting its target on point. Will leaped over the debris and sent a shockwave that blasted the emperor's guard back. Will seized the opportunity and grabbed two of the more surprised ones in a telekinetic grip and called down lightning to sever their lives. The others rushed to their feet and charged at Will. But as they were coming, Will broke the ground beneath their feet, stunning four in the process and giving Will an opportunity to use his lightning once more. Now, it was a fair fight. The blades connected and twirled. Will's acrobatics saved him from the team up. In his right hand, he parried the blades of two while he used his lightning to keep the others at bay. And then suddenly, he switched and stunned the other two while catching the others off guard. Quickly, his saber swirled and relieved them of their hands. All that was left was to dispatch the stunned guards. And with a powerful arm, Will electrocuted the remaining ones. One of the guards he thought he had dispatched however, slowly arise and jumped at Will. Will turned around to face him, but before he was in striking distance, an energy blast sent the guard into a building. Will turned around saw Jake standing there, smiling.

"Missed one" he said tauntingly.

But Will wasn't in the mood for games. "We must hurry. The emperor's location is but a click away. I can feel his presence. I can bolt us there right away."

"Let's do this! Boss battle, bitches!" shouted Jake.


	14. The Wedding (and wedding night lemon)

(Austria)

It was the day of the royal wedding. Empress Valentina and her champion, Will, were to be wed and the whole kingdom was rejoicing. As Will waited by the alter, he couldn't help but appreciate how surreal this all was. How mere fortune had landed him here. He thanked God and turned around to see his bride in a beautiful white dress. Her hair was curled and appeared magnificent. She was perfect. Her smile expressed only love, and Will's heart couldn't help but skip a beat. When she reached the altar, she took his hand. The last time as simply his empress. The service was beautiful and it was a perfect day until a voice shouted, "I object!" from the back. It was James. Will could feel his blood boil and had the empress not intervened when she did, he would have surely exposed his identity as a man of the future.

"How dare you enter here?" the empress shouted.

"Valentina, I love you!" begged James. "Without you I will surely die."

The empress took a step closer to him, and Will saw his life flash before his eyes.

"Please my queen, have mercy on me. For I love you. I'm sorry I mistreated you, but I can't go on without you."

The empress was at him now and the crowd was silent. She pulled his chin up and looked him in the eyes and told him, "Take a good look. This is the last thing of beauty you will ever see." And with that she raised her arm and struck his face. James fell backward, badly bruised. "You abused me, you raped me, you cheated on me, and if Will hadn't been in my life, I would have fallen back to you and endured a life of misery. But now, I have happiness. And it is not nor ever will be because of you. He's yours now", she said looking at Will. And her champion strode down the aisle and picked up the pathetic thing called a man and knocked his lights out.

"Guards, send him back to his own country. Let them deliver judgment and punishment. Warn him that he will be shot on sight if he enters this country again. That is the extent of our mercy."

And just as if the interruption had never happened, the wedding proceeded. Now there have been maybe 5 perfect kisses in the world, only one or two are probably actually recorded. But the kiss that followed the ceremony topped them all. And Will's world was perfect.

Hours later, the couple was back in the palace celebrating their wedding night. Will carried her up the stairs (of course in bridal style) and set her in their chambers.

"Will, make love to me. Kiss me and make me feel like empress of the world and the queen of your heart."

"But Valentina," Will said as he leaned in closer, "you already are." and with that he passionately kissed her, their mouths opening up to entangle their tongues. Before Will could continue, the empress seized the opportunity and ripped her dress off, exposing her brilliant white corsette.

"You know how I get around corsettes."

"I know", she said as she bit her lip and winked at him. "You know how I get around you in suits."

"Oh? And how is that my love."

"I want to rip it off." she said as she grabbed him by his tie and pulled him in for a kiss. as the kissed, she used her hands to undress him and he her. Within seconds, the lovers were naked and in a passionate embrace. Will picked her up and flipped her on her back while he wasted no time in getting on top of her and continuing to kiss her. While they were kissing, she didn't notice his fingers trailing to her breasts where they found her nipples and he pinched them slightly, sending a wave of pleasure throughout her body. Then he stopped kissing and began to kiss down to her neck where he kissed very hard and used his teeth to tease at her skin. This caused her to gasp and moan and he began to feel her push his hand down to her nether region.

"Not yet my love," Will murmured from his neck, and only kissed harder, sending her spasming.

"But I'm just aching for you. I'm thoroughly soaked."

But Will continued as if the mere thought of that didn't bring him close to climaxing. He moved his head down in a trail of kisses to each of her nipples. With his tongue he swirled around each. They were thoroughly hard and the touch of his tongue gave her shivers, and then Will bit her nipples, causing her to moan in ecstasy. He started to twirl his fingers down her back and found the small of it, which he grabbed harder, causing her even more pleasure.

"Please, my love, do not keep me waiting. I fear I will cum before you even get to taste my juices."

And with that Will began to continue south, but ever so agonizingly slow. After ten seconds, he had only reached her belly button, but by then she had had enough and forced his face into her rose petals, so which Will found were perfectly moist. As his tongue entered her cavern of wonders, her body convulsed in pleasure and her chest expanded rapidly and her breath became hastened and spotty. Will carefully moved his tongue, but all he could do was spell her name on her clitoris, and it brought her extraordinary pleasure. But before he let her have her release, he stopped and brought his manhood to her face.

"I want to be in you," he said. And the thought of this revitalized enough for her to take him in her mouth and thoroughly lubricate him. She had not yet been able to take him all the way, but tonight she knew she would, and she did. Will felt a pleasure he had never known before and nearly came there, but stopped himself saying he was thoroughly lubed. She nodded and he entered her. Slowly and surely at first, but then he penetrated deeper and began to move faster. It was a good thing that Will had ordered all the servants to vacate as the lovers' cries of pleasure echoed through the halls as he entered and pushed deeper. And when he had completely entered her, her body clenched around him and stood bewildered in pleasure. The sensation was so amazing Will repeated and the empress knew she could not hold back another time. And on the third time, Will collapsed under the pressure of her body's tightening and came while she collapsed on him and climaxed at the same time.

Feeling exhausted, the lovers just lay there. Looking at each other in the eyes and wondering how such a perfect union had come to pass. After recovering their wits, they sat up and cuddled in bed. She laid her head on his chest while his arms encircled her body and held her in a tight embrace.

Then she said something Will would never forget: "I'm glad I saved you."


	15. Revelations

(Present)

As Will materialized in the courtyard, he saw the emperor. Immediately he ignited the saber and charged only to be met with an equally well-placed parry with the emperor's red saber.

"Did you really think I wouldn't learn after all these years? You're quite predictable. You wear your heart on your sleeves."

"After the torture you put Valentina through, it will be my pleasure to ensure you wear all your organs on your sleeves."

"Careful, we both know that won't bring her back, now will it, Will."

(Austria)

"What?" Will replied.

"Oh come on! Like you really think I didn't know you were from the future and all about your powers? I know you better than you know yourself."

"But how?"

"Allow me to explain," she said. "This is my real time, but I, unlike you, embraced my past. I accepted my pain and moved on. You, however, did not. You needed time to accept your pain. Why do you think it felt like millennia when you were training? It actually was for numerous millennia. You're a tough cookie."

"I'll take that as a compliment, but I'm still confused as to how you saved me."

"Well," she said, "that's simple. It actually was all a dream. I simply put you in a trance where you believed you jumped off a cliff. Really, you simply ran and then fainted in the middle of the woods by the cliff where you woke up and believed it was all real."

"But still, how?"

"We have a bond that transcends time and space. It's called true love. For some unexplained reason one night, I had a dream where I saw you falling and my instinct was to save you because I knew I loved you most true, but I didn't know who you were. I just knew I had to save you. It's only when you came here that I started to put the pieces together…that and Michael filled in the gaps after you trounced James."

"So he told you about my powers?"

"No, I deduced that on my own. Your scar, the fact that you can take on armies by yourself, the fact that there hasn't been lightning ever since I told you I was afraid of it…I can go on."

Will was blushing now, "I should have known I couldn't hide anything from you, my love."

"And don't you forget it." And with that she kissed him and the lovers resumed their sleep. The next morning would be their honeymoon. Will wasn't aware of this, but Valentina was visited by Michael again.

"Greetings, Valentina."

"Hello Michael, how's everything going? Has the crisis you spoke of been avoided?"

"I'm afraid not. The future is still in ruins."

"Then I am not his true love?"

"Are you?"

"Everything about myself tells me I am. Still, am I?"

"You are partly correct. The real answer is Will's good side is in love with you. Will, however, is not all good. You've seen his bad side have you not? It is the source of Will's powers. It is his strength, his cunning."

"How can you say Will has a bad side?"

"Because, it is how he was made. You see, in every one of God's children is the potential for great evil and great good. Will was one of the children entrusted with many gifts. Naturally, what he does with his life can have severe impacts? But once Will is created, God steps back unless called upon. It is up to the angels to recruit soldiers to our side, but Satan is also able to influence Will. And Satan was clever, he separated Will's true love by centuries. Hence, it was necessary to take such extreme measures to unite you two. But it remains clear that Satan is still going to win Will over. I need you to ensure that does not happen."

"How?"

"You need to kill Will's bad side, and by that, I mean only bring out his good side. Show him love. Be faithful, and do not break his heart. We must stop it."

"I understand," she lied.

"Good. I bless you and will take my leave."

As Michael left, Valentina was left to her thoughts. _He must be wrong. Will was given darkness just like us all, but he is not a victim of it. He is in control. He is balanced. He is not someone who is a slave to darkness. He isn't two people. He is him, and I love him. All of him. Michael must be wrong. And I will prove it._ Then Valentina cuddled in beside her husband. But how many times is the Archangel wrong?


	16. The Battle

(Present)

As their sabers clashed, the sky was lit up by lightning. The emperor tried a jab to which Will dodged and returned a kick to the emperor's face. As Will went for a blow the emperor's quick reflexes caught his hand and pushed Will away. Will realized his opponent was well matched.

"You have been training, my old friend." spoke Will.

"After how you humiliated me, how could I not? You stole my love away from me."

"I did no such thing. You KILLED Valentina. And now, I will make you pay."

And Will charged this time. He was thrown into a blind rage and began striking the emperor with all his might, the sheer power knocking the emperor's saber out of his hand. Will had disarmed the emperor and was preparing to strike when he was sent back with a strong force push, causing him drop his saber.

"Let's settle this like men then." And the emperor charged with his fists raised.

He threw a jab at Will's abdomen. As if striking a mighty oak, the blow was useless, and Will returned it with a hook to the emperor's face. But the emperor was cunning and sweeped Will with his legs, causing Will to smack his head on the ground. Bleeding badly, Will cauterized his wound, and got up but only long enough to see the emperor flee into his shuttle.

"Come back and fight you coward!"

(Austria)

Will's sword plunged through the heart of a Trojan warrior. Instead of being on his honeymoon right now, he was at war. Austria's dominance and personal vendettas by the empress' suitors had prompted an alliance to form against Austria. James, who had ascended to prince of Troy commanded an army of Indians and other Arabian peoples, and had convinced them of victory in Europe. Will assembled the allies of Europe, and the massive war raged on.

Will's blade clashed with a soldier. A side slash, a diagonal block before a quick swirl of the wrist struck the soldier in the wrist, disarming him. Then, it was a simple matter of disposing the helpless victim. In his heart, Will pitied the soldier. Loyalty is an important virtue. It was just a shame that he chose the wrong side, but really what choice had he had? Will's thoughts were interrupted by a charging brute, about twice his size. He swung a mighty mace and tried to crush the mighty Italian. Before Will could cause the brute to trip and break his own skull with the momentum of his fall, an arrow pierced the brute in his skull, and he collapsed right before Will's feet. He turned around and saw the empress riding in a stallion and clutching the bow that had saved Will.

"Jump on!" she yelled, and Will gave a mighty jump, flipped in the air and landed right behind her on the horse.

"I thought you were in Vienna?" he asked rather angrily.

"Oh please, like you honestly think I could stay away from you, handsome. Plus, this is my country. It's my war. And I thought you came from a time with changing gender roles?"

Will simply smiled held on to her waist as they galloped forward with the cavalry. The cavalry had been late and Will's infantry were desperately in need of support. Like an ocean wave, the Austrian cavalry flanked the Trojan infantry and crushed the Eastern assailants. Seeing their empress rallied the Austrian soldiers and they reformed their brigades and charged forward. The day looked like it would be won until Will saw a huge behemoth looming aboard the horizon.

It was more than fifty feet tall, had horns like a bull, was on fire, and carried a mighty axe. It had wings as black as the night and it reeked of death and blood. And on its back was James standing upon its shoulder cackling like a hyena.

"Well, well, champion of Michael, the angel's lackey, and mistress of the empress, or is there a better title you prefer?"

Will realized that darker forces were at work and hopped off the horse. To Valentina he said, "Get out. These are forces darker than I've ever seen."

"I'm not going anywhere. You need me and you know it." And she touched his heart. Will became filled with strength he had not felt before. A great light emerged within him and the shadows of the world disappeared. Before him, he saw a monstrous beast roughly ten times the size of him, but he took courage and charged, igniting his sabers he had hidden for years. The beast swung his axe at Will, but Will caught it with his telekinesis and brought it down to the side. The beast tried again as Will charged, but again, Will merely pushed it aside. Then, Will jumped onto the face of the beast and jammed his sabers into the beasts' eyes before leaping down with his sabers in the beast, slicing it as Will continued to fall. As he was doing this he called down lightning and overloaded the beast with thunder of the heavens. Will gracefully leapt off and the beast came crashing down. Will smote his victory but only to still hear the mad cackling of James. Angered, Will grabbed him with his telekinetic grip and brought him to his position where he held him by the neck.


	17. The Great Schism

"Stop Will!" called the empress. "Have mercy!"

"Why should I? He has done nothing but ruin our lives. He deserves to die."

"NO, he has ruined your life."

At this Will felt a shudder, a growing fear arising inside. "What do you mean? Do you love this man?"

"No, I only love you. He means nothing to me. But you fear him. You fear him because he was there before you. Can't you see I have nothing left for him? Nothing left for anyone in my past? How can you not see that? I am your wife."

And then Will's mind slipped into further darkness. Visions of Marie and her betrayal blackened Will's soul, and he knew what he had to do. _I must kill him so that Valentina can never have an opportunity to hurt me. It is the only way to save myself._

"I'm sorry Valentina. But I'm afraid I cannot do that."

 _Stop! You'll break her heart. You're already breaking her trust, cried the dying voice of good in Will's heart. "Better hers than mine again," barked the voice of evil._ And Will's fingers squeezed until James' body was no more. When his body fell, a red bolt of lightning struck Will and spread out to the enemy army. All were immediately disintegrated. When the smoke emerged, Valentina saw the body of Will lying on the ground with a few flickers of blue electricity sparking around his body. Standing before her was an even mightier warrior with red eyes and a red saber. His hair was short and spiked, as if they were real. His chest bulged and his muscles rippled. His complexion was perfect. He was even more beautiful than Valentina's love, except that his countenance was that of hate, anger, and bloodlust.

"Such power. It is incredible. For millennia I have been at bay. And now. I am free. The world will pay. But first, I must ensure that he (gesturing towards Will) never stops me again. My weaker half. My "good" half. He thought he could continue this charade. Fool! All his power came from me. Sooner or later he knew I would escape."

"Who are you?" asked Valentina, but she already knew the answer.

"I, my dear, am the real Will. The part he hides. The part forged in him long ago when his heart was broken. I evolved to protect Will and ensure that we survived. It is I who defended you. It is I who brought Austria its glory. And it is I who you truly love."

"No," Valentina stammered. "That cannot be true. Will, wake up!" she screamed as she pushed the lifeless body.

"Now, kneel before me." demanded Dark Will.

"Never. I do not deny that Will has darkness, but I love him and all of him, you are but one part of him. To have him be all good is just as bad to have him be all dark. Therefore, I will stop you." With that she fired an arrow from her bow. Dark Will caught it in his hand and snapped it. She fired again only to be met with the same result. She drew her sword and charged, but he simply grabbed the blade and snapped it in two.

"Foolish girl. If you thought he was powerful, you have no idea what I can do." And with that, he pushed her back on the ground, and she lay next to her lifeless lover. Then he sent surges of red lightning down her body. Valentina cried out in terror and pain. When she was near death, Dark Will stopped.

"Now, empress, let's have a little chat." and he picked her up. "Do you love me?"

"…Yes. For even though you are Will's evil…AAH!" He sent more electricity in her body.

"Wrong answer! Try again! No one can love me."

"But I do…AAAAAAHH!"

"WROOONG!"

"YESSS!...AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

As this was happening, the sparks on Will's chest began to grow stronger and his eyes began to open. He saw a horrible sight and wished it was a dream, but he knew that face, for it was his own.

(Present)

Will's body began to glow. After all these years, you will not escape me. You killed Valentina. He called down a bolt of lightning and became super charged. Electricity coursed throughout his body and he began to levitate. He chased after his dark self. Eventually, he caught up to it, and decimated the transport. No sooner had he done this that red lightning filled the sky and Dark Will emerged in a similar manner, ready to face his opponent.

"Do you really think you can beat me with thoughts of revenge in your heart? All of that strength comes from me. Even though we no longer share the same body, we still are connected. All of the anger you felt throughout the years has only made me stronger. Don't you see it Will, this was our future. This is what we can do without love. This is the power we can achieve."

"But we aren't happy." And with that he sent a bolt of lightning at Dark Will, but it fizzled out before it could reach him. Will could feel himself losing strength and he began to fall towards the Earth.


	18. Tragedy

(Austria)

"Get off of her!" shouted Will. Dark Will threw Valentina down.

"Hmm. So you still have fight left in you. Pity. Thought I had taken all of that."

"I will always fight as long as I have love."

"Let's see how long that lasts in the future when you're true love is dead. And Dark Will blasted lightning at her, only this time, Will intercepted it and blocked it with his own. As much hate and darkness there was in Dark Will; it was still being balanced by light and love in Light Will. Valentina emerged on her feet and walked towards the middle of their lightning clash.

"Valentina, stay down!" shouted Light Will.

"Do as he says." agreed Dark Will.

"No!" she said. I loved both of you, you were my Will. You cannot simply choose a side, but you must control each other and balance it. Love is about harmony, not simply charging into battle and poetry. It's about pain and loss, but it's also recovery. And there's only one way to ensure that you get it."

With that she leapt in the middle and was consumed by both their lightning. She burst into beams of light and then the lightning stopped. Both fell to their knees, crippled by their loss. Both had loved her in their own ways, but neither had gotten it right. Light Will had always believed a knight in shining armor would win over her heart, but he had missed that Dark Will's strength, fortitude, and desire to fight and not give up on goals and dreams had been just as essential to their love. And back in 2025, he still had not realized that.

Dark Will stood up first. "She's gone. We must move on."

"How can you say that? I loved her."

"We loved her." corrected Dark Will.

"NO, you killed her. You hurt her. You ruined our love."

"We never had love! We can't feel love. And there is only one person to blame for this." _Marie_. "I am going to return to the future and clean up the mess you started before you went on your suicide attempt. Enjoy what is left of Austria." And Dark Will disappeared in a flash of lightning.


	19. The Aftermath

Light Will went to his feet and teleported himself to Italy where no one knew his face. He went to a local tavern and spent the next ten years trying to forget about Valentina, but no amount of drinks, women, or drugs could rid him of her.

At the same time, Dark Will returned and made good on his word. He found Marie and he took her back. He erased her memory and for years they were happy. But he realized she bored him. She worshipped him, but it wasn't enough. Dark Will could not forget the pain she caused him and he knew she could never replace Valentina. But he liked the worshipping. He liked feeling like God. So, why not?

Dark Will began his quest of world domination. It was rather easy actually. He was still a genius and all he had to do was simply reprogram the world militaries machines against them. Commanding electricity and being telekinetic really is the Achilles heel of a world military dependent on steel and electronic communication. He eliminated those who spoke out against him and what remained were those who feared him. To these he imbued long metal chains through their bodies and so doing linked all of humanity in suffering. Then he forced them to live miserable lives working in forges to produce metals which he used to rebuild the world in his image. Granted these were built by a genius who found ways to net metal while never actually depleting the Earth's reserves. But he wasn't doing it to save the Earth, but rather to ensure humanity would suffer inevitably and indefinitely as was his heartbreak. He assumed the role of Emperor and made Marie his empress, although mistress would be far more accurate as the empress had literally zero power. It was just about pleasing the emperor.

Meanwhile, Will continued to drown himself, until ten years had passed. He had been in countless fights and even though he couldn't be bested, he still felt no joy. The money he won in fighting tournaments only continued to fuel his drunken state and indulge his shallow endeavors. But he never once felt happy. One day, he was stumbling through the streets when Michael approached him. He had assumed a disguise to match the others and he stopped Will.

"Will, what are you doing? You must stop the darkness."

"Get out of here Michael. You have done nothing but ensure my misery is eternal. I am here because of you. You brought me to my love knowing full well this would happen. Deal with the consequences."

And then Michael hit Will. It sent him down in the streets. _Can't remember the last time anyone managed to do that._ Will got up and sent a fist at Michael's face. It was careful and reckless, and Michael easily blocked it and returned it with a mighty thrust of his own. For the second time, Will hit the ground. _That is not going to happen again._ Will had sobered up and now went about showing the Archangel why you don't mess with him. Will got up and assumed a battle stance. He had his left foot forward and his left shoulder leaning in. This time, when Michael came at him with a kick to the right rib cage, Will caught it and jammed his elbow, breaking the archangel's thigh bone. Will let Michael go and told him to submit. Michael quickly healed his leg and drew his sword. Will drew his saber as well. The two clashed in the streets. The archangel was good, but Will was better. Michael's blade may have been forged in heaven, but Will's skills made it seem like a shoddy dagger. Michael's strokes were parried perfectly and with a swirl of his wrists, Michael was disarmed. Michael reached for it, but Will's blade met his neck.

"You know you can't kill me." said Michael

"You know you'd never come close to killing me." replied Will. Then Will offered a hand to Michael and asked if he wanted a drink. Michael accepted and the two walked to Will's local tavern. Inside the two discussed the state of the future.

"Will, you need to follow your other half. He found Marie and he enslaved humanity. He isn't taking this loss as _good_ as you."

"I'm doing just fine Michael. I kicked your ass…again."

"You humans are so arrogant. Didn't you pay attention to pride being the deadliest of all sins?"

"So is lying. You said I would find happiness if I did this. But here I am. Valentina is dead and I'm drunk off my ass but still sober enough to feel like shit."

"We have to trust that it is God's plan."

"God's plan is SHIT! Didn't Jesus already die for our sins?!"

"He did. But that doesn't mean you still aren't expected to get up and carry your cross. And here is yours." Michael reached into his pocket and handed him a dog tag. It had a shield charm that had an ornate cross carved out of it. It was beautiful silver.

"This was your grandfathers, and it was given to your mother to give to you. She was going to give it to you on your 18th birthday. Sadly it never happened. But as they are all looking down and smiling at you, they know you need it now more than ever. Simply hold it and accept your duty. Go to the future. Stop the darkness. Save humanity." And with that Michael disappeared. Will sat at the bar for a while, at first thinking how much he could sell it for, but he couldn't. It was beautiful, but even he couldn't part with the only thing he had of his family. He looked closer and saw an engraving. It read:

 _"William, if you believe in yourself and work hard enough, you can change your stars. All of us love you and always will! – Mom"_

Will's eyes were the farthest thing from dry. "I love you mom," he whispered and grabbed the dog tag. Next thing he knew he was in Pittsburgh standing in his grandmother's house. _I must find my dark half._

(Now we are all caught up)


	20. A Heroic Death

As Will plummeted towards the Earth he glanced up and saw Dark Will smirking. But Will took courage as he looked at his dog tag. Using what little strength he had left, he curled into a ball and smacked into the ground after falling for a mile. This would have killed a normal man, but Will was able to survive it, but not easily. The impact had caused him to bleed internally and he could feel blood gushing out of his insides. He tried to stop the bleeding but twitched in pain as he realized both his arms were broken. _I'm not dead, but I'm sure as hell useless. I hope Jake is alright_.

At that moment, Jake was currently racing along the tops of the skyscrapers and trying to get a clean shot off. But he had not been successful. He had just seen his friend plummet to the ground and knew it was suicide at this point. But he must avenge the man who killed his only friend. Taking aim, he fired a shot straight at Dark Will. But Dark Will had sensed him coming and simply trapped the ion blast in a force field of lightning and returned it at Jake. Jake barely dodged it, and in order to do it, he had to jump off of the skyscraper. Realizing the situation, Jake used the grapple in his mechanical arm to latch onto anything. His grapple fired, and it found its mark on the corner of a skyscraper. The whiplash was painful, but Jake was alive. At the same time, he was dead in the water as he hung helplessly. _Hopefully he won't notice me and I can get up to try and take another shot._ Fortunately for Jake, Dark Will noticed his light side had not completely perished, so he descended to finish that, since that was the only real threat to him.

" _This is it,"_ thought Will as he saw the darkness approach. " _But I'm not going to go down like this. I'm going out with my boots on."_ And to the surprise of Dark Will, Will stood up and assumed a fighting stance. Arms broken, face bleeding, and red stains were all over his body, but his eyes shone a brilliant blue with determination and focus.

"Fight me like a man, or do you have no honor?" taunted Will.

"Gladly," smirked Dark Will as he threw his saber down. Will followed suit. And then they both charged. Dark Will began with a low uppercut, but Will caught that and returned with a hook to the cheek, but it was intercepted by Dark Will's hand who blocked it and pushed Will away. Will went on the offensive and threw a kick that was blocked, but not without causing a tremendous amount of pain to Dark Will's wrist. Will followed suit with the other leg, only Dark Will was quicker and caught the leg and proceeded to jam his elbow to break the leg, but Will performed a flip to break the hold. _That flip really hurt. I don't have much left to give._ Dark Will came charging at him and landed a hit right in Will's stomach, which caused him a tremendous amount of pain. Will's block had been on par, but the force of the punch shattered his hand and Will now laid on the ground, vomiting blood. Dark Will walked over and slammed his foot on Will's legs and his hand, shattering every bone in Will's body. But despite all of this, Will did not scream. For he was not in pain. His body was broken and he was near death, but he had finally felt a peace coming over him. He was ready to welcome death, but he had one more thing to do before his body gave out

"Now, I am going to end this." said Dark Will. He picked up Will by the neck and raised his fist. Will knew he had to act quickly and with his shattered hand, he ripped off his dog tag and slammed it on Dark Will's hand. Like a scalding iron, the metal burned Dark Will and he cried in pain. Will had not anticipated this and he collapsed on the ground, barely maintaining consciousness.

"What is this sorcery?" exclaimed Dark Will.

"It was mother's. She loved us and she wanted me to change the world. But this was not how. The pain of all he had lost resurfaced and Dark Will collapsed in pain and began to weep. For he had bottled up all of his negative emotions and pain and now that light Will was no longer sharing the same body, Dark Will lacked the tools to deal with the pain, and he seized in uncontrollable pain.

"Realizing what had to be done, Will crawled to his other half and grabbed the dog tag. Into this, he transferred the remainder of his strength and Dark Will began to calm down.

"Promise me you won't forget this. Life is not all good or all bad. It's painful, but it's how we respond to that pain that makes us who we are. Each of us has a choice, and now I give you one last chance. Accept a light to control your darkness and channel your energy to rid yourself of your hate and desire for evil." With that, Will breathed his last.


	21. Evil Emerges

Dark Will witnessed the sacrifice and realized he had it all wrong. He realized he had been wrong to enslave the world and welcomed the light to purge him of the darkness of misery he had long clung to. Dark Will (but will only be referred to Will from now on) stood up and felt new strength rush over him. His darkness was not gone. He still felt pain, but he also felt something he had never experienced before. Love. True love. And happiness. Pure innocence. All of the good he had been blocking out reemerged and hope returned. Light Will's life force had restored the balance to the darkness and Will realized he had been given a second chance to embrace all of him.

"Emperor!" cried Marie. She raced towards him. "Thank heavens you are back! I was worried you wouldn't want to do it tonight," she said in a seductive voice. Will ignited his saber and ordered her to stop. .

"Hmm. I have not forgotten what you did to me. I want to kill you, but I won't. Leave me before I change my mind."

"But Will, my William, you're my Captain. My Captain Sexy Pants!"

"No, I was only one woman's captain. And she is gone. Leave now before I lose my good humor and plunge this saber into your heart, although I doubt you have one."

She began to protest, so Will simply teleported her in a bolt of lightning to the middle of one of the work camps. _She won't die, she will finally receive the punishment she deserved all those years ago._

"Well done."

Will turned around to see Michael.

"You conquered your inner darkness and learned to control it."

"So you started me on an adventure of self-destruction when you could have easily never ignited my powers? You manipulated my heart! You ruined my life! Why? What sick twisted construct is my life?"

"It was a way to unlock your potential for good. You had to get through all the junk first. Now, you can rebuild this world and bring glory."

"And Valentina? Is there any way I can bring her back?"

"I'm afraid not" replied the angel.

"NO! I refuse to accept that."

"It is the will of God."

"You are not God, Michael. Only he commands us."

"How dare you address the Archangel like that? God does not interfere. For all intents and purposes, I am God!" And with that Michael was instantly pulled by Will's telekinesis into his hands.

"You are not Michael, nor have you ever been. Reveal yourself…Lucifer"


	22. Clash of the Heavens

"Not Lucifer himself, but his lieutenant. I am Deahbound." And with that the Archangel transformed into a hideous beast of nightmare and darkness. Flames engulfed the area and Will drew his sabers. This was it. This was the cause of his suffering. _Evil does come with a trusting face…_

Deahbound hurled fireball after fireball at Will to which Will returned bolts of lightning. But it was futile.

"I feed on your pain, your anger, and your loss. You cannot defeat me."

"You're right." said Will softly. And with that Will called aloud,

"God, hear my prayer. I have failed you in every way. I have only now realized the error. It is within your power to forgive, so I ask of you, I offer my problems to you, for only you can take them away. I submit to you."

And then Deahbound was struck by white lightning. The demon cried aloud in pain and Will turned to see an army of angelic legions appear and charge at the demon. Deahbound called forth an army of demons and a great battle ensued. Will did not get to witness it for an angel, most likely his guardian angel, picked him up and brought him to safety. Will could hear the shouts of demons dying as he heard the angels' swords sever the demonic heads. The battle would not last long. Heaven would win, as it always does. But Will's fatigue made his eyes droop and he passed out in the angel's arms.


	23. Resolution

Will awoke to the smell of sausage, peppers, and onions. _That aroma is fantastic, but who is possibly cooking. The last thing I remember I was being carried away by an angel._ He stood up and saw someone he never thought he would see. It was Valentina, in all her heavenly radiance.

"Valentina?"

"Morning sleepy head." she said cutely.

"How…?"

"How am I alive? After all this do you still lack faith?"

"I saw you die before my eyes…"

"And God restored me to life. He wants you to be happy, and so he reunited us."

"Am I dead?"

"No. Actually, we are on our honeymoon. Yesterday was our wedding and last night…well, it was certainly an amazing night." and she winked at him, causing him to blush this time.

"But I am out of time? I am not in my world."

"Don't worry. You'll get to see that again."

"Huh?"

"Oh. That's right. Yes, so we have been blessed with very long life. God told me that our time would not be for centuries, and that we would know when the time was right. But let's not worry about the future. Let's just enjoy the now." And with that she handed him his breakfast and joined him in bed and hugged him.

"I missed you," he whispered.

"I know." she said. "My heart ached for you, too. That is all in the past what matters is one simple question."

"And what is that?"

"Do you love me?"

Will replied, "Por siempre."


End file.
